


that boy is a problem

by demlips



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Dark Character, Eventual Smut, I'm Bad At Tagging, M/M, Slight Homophobic Slur, Stalking, This Is STUPID, balletdancer!luke, but not really, like in the movie street dance, some OCs, streetdancer!ashton
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-20
Updated: 2015-04-11
Packaged: 2018-03-13 23:53:59
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 12,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3400835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/demlips/pseuds/demlips
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>{lowercase intended because hey why not}</p>
<p>luke probably wouldn't have slipped if it hadn't been for the asshole who strutted into the studio like it was no big deal to be stunningly gorgeous right when he was practicing some new choreography.  like, be hot elsewhere, yeah?  lucas robert hemmings, motherfucking ballet virtuoso, does not slip.  it doesn't happen.  but there he was, a tangled pile of limbs of the floor, staring at the literal vision of flawlessness.  in that moment, luke decided to hate him.<br/>or<br/>luke is an extremely talented ballet dancer and ashton "kinda does the hip hop thing?"</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. la chute

**Author's Note:**

> this is going to be so bad because i'm not french, australian, or a ballet dancer (which is debatable but we'll say i'm not) so i'm sorry ahead of time
> 
> this basically the product of me watching to many dance movies and reading too much fanfiction

luke probably wouldn't have slipped if it hadn't been for the asshole who strutted into the studio like it was no big deal to be stunningly gorgeous right when he was practicing some new choreography.   _like, be hot elsewhere, yeah?_   lucas robert hemmings, motherfucking ballet virtuoso, does not slip.  it doesn't happen.  but there he was, a tangled pile of limbs of the floor, staring at the literal vision of flawlessness.  in that moment, luke decided to hate him.  michael clifford, his ballet master, was immediately yelling.

"hemmings! les yeux sur moi, imbécile!"

basically, that meant "pay attention you fucking idiot." just with less swearing.  michael liked to pretend he was french to impress another one of the dancers, calum hood.  luke thought it was pathetic until he actually saw calum dance.  he left mikey alone after that, but his pseudo-french ancestry still pissed him off.

"be quiet, clifford," luke grumbled, gingerly rubbing his elbow.

calum, who was standing behind luke, snickered and whispered, "y'alright there, mate?"

luke just shook out his limbs and got back into position, his eyes purposefully avoiding the beautiful dipshit in the back.  ' _who the fuck does he think he is, just waltzing in, ruining everything with his perfect face and amazing biceps?_ ' he thought, brushing off the waves of embarrassment already washing over him.  this was most certainly the worst day of his life.  he had already lived through the trauma of being a gawky, lanky, 6'4" dancer.  luke endured through the jokes about being a ballerina, even though he insisted that the correct term was _danseur, thank you very much_.  he had practiced so hard that he quickly rose in the ranks to being the best dancer "in all of australia," according to michael.  which, no, but luke _was_ a virtuoso.  a virtuoso doesn't fall over at the sight of some random guy, despite his gorgeous nature.

mikey seemed to notice him last, trying to reassemble the formation the dancers had before luke's date with the floor. "ashton!" he shouted, running with childlike glee toward the guy, finally throwing himself onto him.

calum coughed and averted his eyes uncomfortably.  luke told himself to think about that reaction later.  right then, he wanted time to process why the fuck his stomach was lurching at the sound of the name.   _ashton._ he supposed it would be just his luck that the guy had a great name, too.  the unfairness of the situation was quickly becoming apparent as luke watched ashton peel michael off of him with ease, laughing loudly.  luke enjoyed the laugh way too much for it to be coming from someone he hated.

he took the time to observe ashton's attire, noticing how his black ac/dc shirt had holes all over it, and how his jeans looked tight to the point of being borderline uncomfortable.  the dark blonde mess of curls that spilled over his hazel eyes in the cutest way were giving luke breathing problems.  his scuffed up chucks made luke shuffle his own feet, mentally shouting ' _no street shoes on the studio floor.'_ subconsciously, he glanced down at his own grey t-shirt and black shorts.  he had never really cared much about what he wore to the studio, seeing as he was just practicing, but the day hadn't been following any norms so far.  mikey dragged ashton to the front, smiling like an idiot.

"this is ashton, a friend of mine from college.  this guy can dance better than me, i mean it--" michael broke of with a laugh, leaving luke confused at to what the hell was so funny. 

calum was looking increasingly more distressed as michael spoke.  luke sympathized with him, he really did.  this was the farthest thing from ordinary and even Maggie, the oblivious wench near the middle of the formation who had stepped on luke's toe about forty-seven times, looked uncomfortable.

ashton was scanning the faces of everyone in the room, as if he was trying to find someone.  when his gaze landed on luke, he paused, looking him up and down.  it took a while seeing as luke was a gentle giant, but he could feel ashton's eyes burning into his skin.  at last when he looked him directly in the eye, he gave a breathtaking smile.  luke almost fell over again.  calum, probably sensing this, took a little step forward so that he was directly beside him.  ashton's eyes flickered over to calum and suddenly it felt as though they were all having a conversation without using their voices.  michael coughed much like calum had.

"let me introduce you to everyone," he began.

before he could say anything, though, calum took another step forward.  sticking his tan hand out, he said, "calum hood."

ashton's eyes were almost _shining_ with mirth, and luke was validated in his belief that ashton was an asshat.

they slowly worked around the room, introducing themselves.  when it came to luke, he mumbled his name and looked everywhere but the front of the studio.  calum stayed tense for the remainder of the time ashton was present, which ended up being forty-five minutes.  minutes lucas spent awkwardly coughing and shifting his weight from foot to foot.  he could tell that ashton watched him the entire time, and it was making him increasingly angry.  he had dealt with enough embarrassment for the day, in his humble opinion, and the smug motherfucker was taunting him for it.  despite calum's territorial tendencies, michael seemed to be enjoying himself, so maybe the tension wasn't as palpable as luke had assumed.  

by the time that ashton left, giving luke one last lingering glance, there was no more time for dancing.  in all honestly, he couldn't remember the topic of conversation, seeing as he was trying his hardest not to pay attention.  luke angrily changed back into his clothes and pulled calum aside.

they stood in a quiet corner of the studio, next to a tall window overlooking the city.  

"what the actual fuck?" calum asked, his face set with anger.

"that's something i've been screeching in my head for the last hour," luke replied, waving goodbye to peter as he left.  both of the boys stood, shaking their heads, when michael came over.

"well? what did you think of him?" michael questioned. calum rolled his dark brown eyes and shoved past an expectant mikey.

"what did i say?" michael looked clueless, but luke was angry, too, so he just shoved a hand into his blond quiff and walked out the door.

he hoped that tomorrow, ashton wouldn't be around, so maybe luke could actually dance. 


	2. le problème

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ashton in detail

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thankyouthankyouthankyou so much to everyone who read this and left their kudos, i honestly didn't expect anyone to enjoy this

 ashton irwin woke up, for what had to be the millionth time, to the sound of his upstairs neighbor having sex.  he had to wonder about the state of her vagina at this point, but not enough to investigate.  rubbing his eyes and yawning, he rolled out of bed.  and straight onto the floor.  ashton groaned and pushed himself off his stained cream carpet, trudging into his minuscule kitchen with some reluctance.  the real estate agent had said it was small, but only when he saw it in person did he realize that it was the definition of tiny.  ashton remembered the following conversation:

"fuck's sake, this is  _small_?" he said incredulously, noting the lack of much cabinet space and lack of, well, much of anything.  

 the small woman in her gray pantsuit hadn't even flinched.

"well, it wouldn't be much, but it would be  _yours_." she had said, looking him straight in the eye. 

 and in the end?  that was really all it had taken.  for it to be his.  ashton's flat.   _this is where ashton lives_.  he supposed it was pathetic, his insatiable need to own things, to be able to call them his own.  to have something he wouldn't have to attribute to his father.  his father who left him.  his father who couldn't stop sending checks.  ashton had been saving for two years, working at a home improvement store thirty minutes from his temporary lodging with michael, who was going through college in business.  he had found michael through a craigslist add, and hadn't looked back since.  eventually mikey opened his studio, which brought in more that enough income, but ashton persisted.  he worked and worked and drank so much coffee he became immune to it for three weeks.  then began the search for his new home.  

 ashton hadn't gone to college for several reasons.  the first one being that he didn't know what the fuck he was doing with his life, and the second one, he would admit, was unbelievably childish.  his father has sent him enough money to get into any college he wanted, and ashton's mother had told him to "take advantage of the situation."  this was all getting to be too much for him, so he sent the money back along with a scathing letter, stating firmly that he didn't want to live his life riding piggyback to his father's fortune.  he received no response.

breakfast and a coffee later, his neighbor was still going at it.

"god, she's like a rabbit!" ashton muttered, scooting off of his beaten gray couch to get dressed.  the couch was a loaner from michael, who had bought a new apartment and all new furniture when dance troupes started purchasing time slots at his studio.  mikey also gave lessons, which would explain ashton's basic knowledge of ballet.  his real forte was-- he didn't know how to describe it.  hip hop/street dance/randomly moving and making it look good.  michael encouraged him in this more that anyone, and he was immensely grateful.  he did, once, yell at him for his lack of name tor his dance style.  

"it's not that hard, mate!  just call it street dance and move on," he had suggested, already mocking ashton's answer.

"but that makes me sound like i'm a hobo doing the jig in the streets, or a integral member of some deadly gang!" ashton protested.

 eventually michael let it go.

 as he was getting dressed, ashton's thought strayed to the tree of a boy he had seen at michael's studio yesterday.  he smiled.  it was obvious that he was a very good dancer, deduced from his posture and general position in the room.  it was like michael had set it up so that he was in the center, everyone else in a semi-circle around him.  despite his status as the best dancer in the room, he had fallen over when ashton walked in.  ashton's smile turned into a smirk.  "luke" was falling for him already.  he would make sure to toss that joke into the conversation today, when he went back.  michael and ashton had been planning to integrate their two styles for quite some time.  now that he knew about luke, ashton was already ten times as excited.

 

he pushed out of his apartment and started the five minute trek to the studio.  he was replaying his meeting with luke over and over in his head.  blue eyes and a quiff swam in and out of his consciousness.  pushing his own curly hair out of his eyes, ashton skipped a little, probably looking hopped up on drugs by anyone who was watching.  he heard his neighbor's moans for an impressive two minutes away from his flat.  

by the time he reached the front of the studio, ashton's nerves were starting to set in.  what if luke didn't like him?  he seemed pretty angry the day before.

'right. stop acting like an idiot. you aren't a thirteen-year-old girl.' he thought, pushing into the studio.  the high ceilings never failed to take his breath away.  it really was a beautiful building, all mahogany flooring and curling staircases.   he ran up the steps, earning a few odd looks for his appearance.  again.  ashton thought it wouldn't be such a big deal, seeing as michael changed his hair more than he breathed.  

finding the correct door was easier than it had been the day before. he could hear michael shouting in french through the huge door. 

"maggie!  adagio!  let luke lift you!  vous sac sans valeur des boues d'épuration!" he yelled.  ashton could only guess what he has called the poor girl.

 taking a few deep breaths, ashton opened the door.

 

 

 


	3. la résolution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> luke pretends he knows what the fuck he's doing  
> calum chills  
> michael is nervous  
> ashton is happy
> 
> but not in that order

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry it's been a few days, i was mauled by a vicious 2 month old dog (charlie) and he didn't understand it when i told him to bippity boppity back the fuck up. long story short my hand was too sore to write for a few days

 luke hemmings was starting to get extremely angry at maggie, his partner for the day, when ashton walked in.  he tried to contain his groan of disappointment, he really did, but it escaped him rather unceremoniously as he was setting maggie down on the pale, smooth studio floor.  ashton was still, unfortunately, sinfully gorgeous.  his hair was pushed back off his face that day, making his wide hazel eyes more obvious.  he looked thrilled, for lack of a better word, about something luke could only guess at.  he had just started to accept that ashton wasn't coming again, and he had been doing actual choreography for at least an hour.  maggie however, seemed to be (as usual) struggling to get her shit together.  luke was always as patient as possible with the girl, but today his ability to cope was absent as he tried his best to lift her whilst she squirmed.

luke's sound had attracted more attention than intended but he just continued to fidget with his lip ring and look down at the floor. 

 michael called off the tragedy unfolding in front of his eyes to bring ashton to the front of studio again.  his excitement was obvious, too, so luke was beginning to get suspicious.  calum moved to stand next to luke, repeating the previous day's arrangement.  he could sense that the tan boy was still angry at ashton and michael, much like himself.  

 their combined annoyance was affecting those around them, causing them to shuffle away warily.  many people had learned not to cross the pair when they were both upset about the same thing.  as if he could sense luke's distaste, ashton locked his hazel eyes with luke's blue ones.  the effect was instantaneous.  luke's stomach was lurching uncomfortably and his heart was beating rapidly.  outwardly, he was sure it didn't show, but inwardly, luke felt gooey.  he hated it.  ashton's gaze was attentive as he raked down luke's figure, taking in his _ninja turtles_ tank top and black shorts, which were actually much smaller than the ones he had worn the previous day.  he had tried to convince himself that it was for comfort reasons, not for attractive men he was supposed to hate.  he had failed to convince calum, however, who had just shook his head in blatant distaste.

"right, you remember ashton?  yeah?  good.  we have a bit of an announcement we'd like to make, and we're very excited about it . . ." michael trailed off.  he was more jittery than normal, and it was obvious that this was a big deal, judging by the way he fiddled with the hem of his dark red t-shirt.  calum was suddenly extremely tense beside him, so luke leaned over to bump shoulders with him, shooting the boy a concerned glance.  calum just clenched his jaw and looked back up to where ashton was watching them intently.  luke absolutely, totally, one-hundred percent did  _not_ blush.  it didn't happen.  (it totally did.)

"um, we're-- ashton, me, you lot, and a few of his friends, are--" michael started.  ashton just rolled his eyes and stepped up.

"we've decided to do a sort of mash-up with our two styles of dancing," ashton stated, maintaining eye contact with luke.  

 his surprise must have been quite obvious on his face, because ashton broke into a goofy grin and winked at him.  luke was stuck on the words "our two styles," seeing as he had assumed from michael's comment the day before that ashton was a ballet dancer.  obviously not though, if michael was nervous about their reactions to a merger.  this had all the makings of a bad idea, down to the shady explanation.  immediately, everyone was talking at once.

"oh, cool--"

"wait, 'two styles?'"

"the fuck?"

"are we talking salsa, like, the famingo?"

"flamenco dancing, you absolute twat."

"he must have hit the blunt too hard--" (this was cut off by a hard shove by maggie.  at least she was good at something besides stepping on people.)

 mikey and ashton just waited until the din had died down most of the way until they said anything.  michael cleared his throat, gaining more confidence as he spoke.

"ashton is a pretty good street dancer," michael said, ignoring the disdainful murmurs running through the assembled dancers.  "just hear us out.  he's pretty fucking good and we need something new.  we've been planning this for years, but i decided that this was the proper group to start with.  i mean, look around.  we have luke hemmings, for christ's sake.  calum hood!  them along with the rest of you lot makes one of the best groups i've ever danced with.  really.  i think we can tackle the challenge, don't you?" 

 he had aimed the question at luke, desperately, knowing that his opinion would hold the most weight.  he glanced at calum, who was already looking at him, visibly relaxed now that he knew michael wasn't announcing his imminent marriage and from the quick praise in his little speech.  the look in his eyes was one luke has learned to recognize.  the look of someone who wanted to take on a particularly hard dare or challenge.  this showed luke that calum was down, which influenced a lot of his own opinion. he himself was undecided, but looking at calum had caused him to pick his choice.  

"sounds fun, i guess.  i'm in, then." luke spoke, avoiding ashton's eyes, but knowing they had lit up with joy and that a smile has graced his features.

 not really knowing what this "mash-up" would consist of was causing him to be a little anxious, but if he had calum there with him he would at least try.  if he could excel at ballet, what would the problem be with a little street dance?


	4. l'échec

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> boys struggle with dancing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this was kinda hard for me to write for some reason??? hope it turns out okay

 obviously this was going to be harder than they had originally thought.  even michael was having problems, and he was half of the whole process.  ashton was beginning to get exasperated, and they had only been working for 20 minutes.  after running through a few basic steps with the group, who halfheartedly followed along, he asked them to demonstrate it.

"c'mon guys, it's literally just stepping backwards and forwards.  free your arms!  swing them around a bit, act like a gangster or something."

 this produced a round of snickers and a few uncomfortable coughs.  ashton sighed, running a hand through his hair for what felt like the fiftieth time, and moved froward. 

"like this."

 he proceeded to step forward a few times, pausing and stepping backward.  looking up, he saw confusion on the ten faces before him.  nadine and natalie, the fraternal twins, were exchanging glances, like some sort of creepy telepathy.  michael was scratching his brightly colored head, trying to swing him arm and hitting himself in the back.  bea and peter had given up some time during the demonstration, fearfully sliding to the floor as if in a stupor.  erin and sophie were sort of getting it, but they looked too stiff and practiced.  he supposed they were used to the strict and precise movements of ballet.  maggie was probably the worst.  in her excitement she had managed to fall over her own feet.  she was currently clutching a bag of ice to her ankle, sitting beside where ashton stood, her eyes glued to his body as he moved.  ashton was trying extremely hard not to think about it.  the only people he had no real criticism for were calum and luke.

 the pair had stuck to each others sides since the start of the lesson.  they both helped the other and attacked each movement head on.  when calum had been too stiff on his first try, luke had quietly corrected him, guiding his arms in a care free motion.  when he had grumbled about the ridiculousness of the move, luke had commented, "i suppose we've got to learn the fundamentals."

which was exactly what ashton had been trying to do.  so they practiced.  he was sure luke and calum were still confused, but that was okay.  it was only the first lesson and they certainly weren't the only ones.  he had hoped that the group's previous dancing experiences would have prepped them for this to some degree, but it hadn't.  at least most of them were trying.  

 by the time they made it to a dip step, ashton was becoming distressed.  he wasn't sure how he was going to be able to come in every day of the business week and watch luke.  he was just too attractive.  ' _the man has_ great  _legs_ ,' he thought, watching luke go into the dip, not even having to put his hands of his thighs.  his long and illustrious ballet career had clearly gifted him with amazing body strength, and ashton wasn't sure if he was into it or not.  two tops do not make a bottom, and he was worried about the possibility of luke being disappointed in ashton's aversion to taking it up the ass.

 ashton had to snap himself out of his reprieve with a sharp mental reprimand, telling himself that luke would never spare him a second glance outside of class, let alone have sex with him.  the sad fact was that in ashton's mind, luke was a ten and he was a solid seven-and-a-half.  those odds just didn't stack up in his favor.  so he kept his thoughts to himself, despite his glancing at luke every thirty seconds or so.  once or twice, he thought he caught luke looking right back, but he dismissed it as his imagination.  besides, ashton as sure luke and calum were together.  he knew that mikey was practically in love with the tan, brown haired man, but it was quite obvious that he was close with luke.  ashton would be honest and say that it made him angry to see them interact so cohesively together.  they took queues from each other.  he wondered if michael noticed just how close they were or if he knew the truth behind their apparent relationship.  

 he was drawn out of his thoughts by michael saying "well this isn't going anywhere.  dismissed.  go home and practice these moves--no, not you maggie.  i expect to see you lot back here bright and early tomorrow with a better understanding of what to do.  calum, i'd like to speak with you before we go, nothing bad, just a chat."

 ashton knew that "chat" really meant "chat  _up_ " and hoped, for michael's sake (and a little for his own), that luke and calum weren't together.  everyone started shuffling out to get dressed so ashton seized the chance while he had it.

"luke!" he called out, causing the blonde to turn around quickly.  ashton saw luke narrow his eyes and carefully turn to face him, and he nervously ran a hand through his hair.  jogging over where the taller man stood, he planted his feet and took a breath.

"you and calum are doing very well so far.  i'm very impressed with your progress compared to the rest of these guys." he rushed out, trying his best to sound confident.  luke averted his eyes in a way that suggested he wasn't expecting the compliment.

"i can't quite decide what to do with my hands, honestly," he admitted.  ashton laughed.

"i had that problem too.  eventually it becomes second nature," he said, and noticing luke's longing glance to the changing rooms, he continued. "go home and practice a bit, yeah?  and just keep up whatever it is you've got going, because it's definitely working."

 he wondered if maybe that was a bit creepy, but didn't linger.  luke nodded and walked away.  he was pretty sure luke was pretending not to notice the way ashton was eyeing him.  that was fine by him.

 


	5. la maladresse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> luke hips the hop

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the lack of update guys i've been traveling like crazy. i seized a moment of calm to bang out this chapter so it's sub-par? you can judge that for yourself. comments are appreciated, like, a lot.

 luke hemmings was well and utterly fucked at this point.  he was already panting over ashton, but now watching him dance?  he had told calum to have the paramedics on speed dial just in case.  (this had not gone over well seeing as calum still harbored a tiny bit of resentment towards ashton.)  obviously ashton thought he was making progress, but luke felt like he was a noodle flopping around on the studio floor with no intent to dance.  it was a mess.  he was a mess.  everything was just a gargantuan mess and he was definitely not keen on fixing any of it.

"hemmings! payez-vous attention à ce qu'il dit ou êtes-vous juste lui reluquer?" michael shouted where he stood next to ashton, having already mastered the move being demonstrated.  luke was so thankful in that moment that only he, michael, and calum knew french.

"Soyez tranquille ou je dis tout le monde le temps que vous avez trop bu et je ai essayé d'avoir le sexe au téléphone avec moi." he shouted back, probably blushing five kinds of red at what michael had said.

 then it was michael's turn to squirm as calum laughed out loud, slapping his hand over his mouth and grabbing his stomach.

"he didn't!" calum exclaimed, laughing even harder when luke nodded with a cheeky grin.  everyone else, especially maggie, was staring at them in pure confusion.  luke didn't bother to explain as he got back into position, still chuckling, and looked ahead at ashton.  his breath caught, like very other time he looked at the man.  ashton's hair was tied back today and it was amazing in every way possible.  luke had put on a beanie today, not wanting to bother with his hair like usual.  ashton's loose vest top was, like the first day luke had seen him, riddled with holes; luke had cut the sleeves off of his own shirt, causing it to reveal a lot more of his torso than he was used to showing outside of a performance.  his self conscious nature was starting to get the better of him when he noticed ashton glancing at his chest every few seconds.  was he disgusting or something?  he knew he wasn't much compared to ashton, but he also knew he wasn't horrible or anything--was he?  

 ashton stepped to demonstrate the move again.  he had called it "kickbacks" and it basically consisted of stepping backward with one foot while keeping your torso and one leg in the standing position.  they were meant to alternate legs between beats and keep their arms up next to their chest.  it was pretty basic to luke, and he confidently executed it.  calum was still struggling with getting loose and making it look more natural.  luke had just told himself that he needed to be fluid and it had worked for him so far.  the fact that he was picking up the choreography so quickly was beginning to aggravate the other dancers.  the only ones who hadn't shot him a murderous look were erin, sophie, and the twins.  apparently, they were at least doing a passable job, and didn't feel the need to blame luke for their every problem.  he was immensely grateful.  

 the next move was a little more involved and luke messed up quite a few times before sighing in frustration.  calum looked up at him sympathetically, but everyone else looked smug, even though they couldn't do it either.  ashton just rolled his eyes at them and walked to the back where he and calum had claimed their ground.  moving to luke's side, he grabbed his arm and gently positioned it to the correct spot.

"here.  yeah, like that.  feel right?" ashton questioned, moving luke's arm in the way he had shown earlier.  luke nodded, trying his best to ignore the pleasant buoyant feeling in his chest.  ashton grinned at him, showing his blinding teeth, and walked back to the front.  calum was trying his very hardest to not laugh at luke's expression as he watched ashton walk away.  he was most definitely looking at ashton's ass.  luke stuck to his earlier statement that he was fucked.  

"alright, that's probably it for today, you all." michael said distractedly, watching calum bend over to touch his toes.  luke realized he should probably stretch too, seeing as he had just spent the last two hours vigorously dancing to loud rap music.  he shrugged and went straight for the splits.  it wasn't really hard for him since he had to do it during certain dances.  leaning forward, he touched his left foot with one arm, then the other.  glancing up, he caught ashton's eye and visibly gulped.  

 he had never seen ashton look at him this way and it was scary and exciting all at the same time.  his eyes were focused on luke and luke alone, and he didn't even look up when maggie shouted his name.

"ashton!  ashton i have a question!  hel-lo?" maggie called, waving her hands in an extremely distracting manner.

 she was jogging so fast she crashed straight into ashton, who obviously hadn't heard a word she said.  his hands flew up to her waist as they stumbled, eventually crashing to the floor whilst maggie looked dreamily into his eyes from on top of him.  luke wanted to vomit.  calum walked up to him and pulled him out of his splits, recognizing the look on his face.  grabbing both of their bags, calum threw an arm over luke's shoulder, leading him to the door.  michael followed at calum's side, eyeing the arm but choosing not to comment.  sophie skipped up in front of them, giving luke a concerned look.  

"wanna grab some coffee?" she asked, directing the question to the trio.  calum and michael nodded their consent, so luke shrugged again.  

"why not?" he said, avoiding ashton and maggie who were still a tangled mass of limbs on the floor. they changed quickly and stepped out into the bright light outside of the dance studio.  luke still felt sick to his stomach.


	6. la colère

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> sorry, this is super short  
> ashton feels the rage  
> also, maggie randomly turns into a hardcore stalker without my permission? like it just kinda happened

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, eventually, there will be a malum chapter. patience, grasshopper.  
> you, keep it up with those comments, you guys had me cracking up :D  
> see if you catch the "perks of being a wallflower" reference

 ashton figured if there was one person in the world that he would physically harm it was maggie herrin.  that bitch was so lucky he had some morals and an ounce of self respect, though, so she was safe.  he and luke had totally been having a  _moment_ , unless, of course, luke didn't think they were having a moment, then what do you mean, moment?  then maggie had to crash in with her awkward ankle and ruin everything ashton had ever hoped and dreamed for.  luke had looked downright pissed, and it pleased ashton a little that luke had been jealous.   _maybe he just hates maggie_ , he thought, realizing how delusional he was being.  why would luke like him?  

 later, when ashton called michael and tried to slyly ask about how their coffee date with sophie was, michael barked out a laugh.  

"you're pathetic.  ask him out or something, mate." he had said, the amusement very evident in his voice.

" _well michael_ , i have no clue if he's gay, first off, and then of course there's the problem of how i am nothing compared to him." he spit back, trying to make mikey see how stupid he was being.

" _well ashton_ , i've known lucas hemmings for at least eight years, and if there is one thing i can tell you about him, it's that he's as queer as a three dollar bill.  also, you should know by now that you are one of the most attractive people i know.  if i weren't so madly in love with calum, i would be after you like you wouldn't believe."

 ashton just snorted before another thought came into his head.

"so like, luke and calum aren't, um, together?" he asked, trying not to sound to concerned.

 michael started coughing uncontrollably.

"no i-- have you, i mean-- does it seem-- to you?  is that what it, uh, looks like, or something?"  michael stuttered, trying to regain his composure.

"no i mean-- i was was, um, yeah, hoping you knew 'cause like, you know both of them, uh, better than i do?" ashton was sure he was bushing dark red at this point.  

"i guess i can, uh, find out mate, yeah. . ." michael trailed off, leaving the silence way to awkward for ashton's liking.

"um thanks mate.  yeah." ashton said running a hand over his face.

"no problem," mikey replied, sighing.

 they exchanged goodbyes and hung up, leaving both of them in their respective apartments with a lot to think over.  

~*~

 when ashton got home from the run he had taken to clear his head, he noticed something odd.  there was a note taped to his front door.  

 it read:

" _ashton,_

_you're probably wondering how i know your address.  don't worry about it, darling.  i just wanted you to know that i'm sorry for crashing into you today.  it's just, you're so hot.  i was trying to get your attention.  why weren't you paying attention to me ashy?  anyways, i don't wanna see you talking to that bitch luke anymore.  he thinks i'm annoying because i step on his toes.  well, i'll step on more than his toes if he goes near you again.  i love you ashton._

_your girlfriend,_

_maggie (IRWIN)"_

ashton could feel his heart pulsing harder than it ever had before.

"what the actual fuck?  i mean what the literal, actual fuck?" he asked himself, disbelief riddled through his tone.  he thought about crumbling the note and setting it on fire, but he suddenly had a better idea.  he was going to take it to the studio.  


	7. le fluage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> maggie you fucking bitch  
> also boys act dumb af

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well  
> this is it  
> 

 the scariest moment of luke's life so far was when he walked into the studio that morning, running a hand through his hair and apologizing for being ten minutes late.  

"there was an asshole on the tube and he wouldn't stop calling me 'twinkle toes' because he saw my shoes in my bag and--" he broke off, looking around at the assembled group of dancers, standing in a line, who all bore the same grim expressions.  the distress was palpable in the room and luke was sure he was about to get kicked out of the studio because no one wanted to deal with his shit.  searching the crowd he met calum's eyes and raised his eyebrow.

_the fuck?_

"erm, luke, there was a situation before you arrived." bea said quietly.  peter coughed into his fist behind her, scuffing his shoes on the floor.

"a situation?  like, what kind of situation?" he asked, eyes roving over the awkwardly shuffling dancers.  luke noticed that there was something wrong with the amount of people in the crowd.  someone was missing.  bea ran a hand through her short black hair before replying.

"like-- erm, maggie got kicked out of the studio.  she-- she can't come back," bea trailed off, glancing around the room.  luke couldn't comprehend her words for a full forty seconds.  then he was sputtering.

"wait.  wait, hold on, what?  shit, why?" luke rushed out, looking over to ashton and michael.  they both looked extremely uncomfortable, ashton even more so than mikey.

"i think it would be best if ashton told you." calum spoke up, not meeting luke's eye.  now luke was afraid, unsure if he was in trouble or if something had happened to maggie.

 ashton beckoned luke over to his side and he complied, moving slowly with measured paces.  as he neared, he noticed that ashton had a note in his hand.  his pulse quickened at the sight, imagination racing with possibilities of what it could be.

 the curly haired boy handed luke the note silently, eyes glued to his face.  he read silently. 

" _ashton,_

_you're probably wondering how i know your address.  don't worry about it, darling.  i just wanted you to know that i'm sorry for crashing into you today.  it's just, you're so hot.  i was trying to get your attention.  why weren't you paying attention to me ashy?  anyways, i don't wanna see you talking to that bitch luke anymore.  he thinks i'm annoying because i step on his toes.  well, i'll step on more than his toes if he goes near you again.  i love you ashton._

_your girlfriend,_

_maggie (IRWIN)"_

luke figured he probably wouldn't sleep that night.  

"i knew she was a clumsy bitch, but i didn't think she was a fucking psychopath." is all he managed to say.

 a few people chuckled, but it was weak.  this was more intense that they were all comfortable with and it was obvious that both luke and ashton were in legitimate trouble.

"i figured we wouldn't dance today, we can just sit and chill.  get to know each other a bit better." michael spoke up, eyes trained on calum.

luke was amazed that even in a moment like this, mikey was still going for the booty.  they all nodded and sat in loose groups on the floor, calum wandering over to michael with a blush.  ashton plopped down next to luke.  

"are you okay?" he asked, concern touching his features.  luke thought bout it for a moment before responding.

"i mean-- not really.  it hasn't really set in yet." he admitted, staring at ashton's powerful hands.  

"we told the police, but they said that they couldn't prove it wasn't a prank." ashton said carefully.  luke still heard the anger in his voice.  

"bullshit.  can't they compare handwriting and fingerprints?  i guess that still doesn't 'prove' if it's a joke.  god.  this is so fucked up," luke said, playing with the hem of his black shorts.  he was going to just ignore ashton for the rest of the day, but it was becoming quite clear that luke no longer held any sort of premise that he hated ashton, and that he needed to stop lying to himself if he was going to be productive.  it had been at least a month since the slipping incident and, even though ashton hadn't stopped being attractive (far from it), luke had moved on a few weeks ago.  even calum was beginning to accept ashton as an "acquaintance", or friend.

"so, are you doing anything later?" ashton questioned, twisting one of his shoelaces.

"er, no, i don't think so?  yeah, no, i'm not doing anything." luke replied, blushing beetroot red. 

"oh." ashton said, twisting the shoelace with vigor now.

"yeah," luke said, looking anywhere but ashton.  he was eighteen, for gods sake, why was this so difficult?

"do you, like, wanna get something to eat?" ashton asked, finally turning to face luke fully.

luke paused before saying:

"sure.  um, yeah, definitely." 

ashton smiled a brilliant smile and luke felt buoyant again.


	8. l' anxiété

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> coffee feat. dumb boys

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so like, french? it stresses me out  
> warning for flashback-y homophobic slurs

 ashton had never heard anything hotter than the sound of luke talking to him in french.  

"okay, say 'ashton is the best dancer in the whole world.'" he begged.  luke rolled his pretty blue eyes but complied.

"ashton est le meilleur danseur du monde." he intoned, fingering the lid on the small coffee he had ordered.  ashton had insisted on paying, so luke had managed to find the cheapest item on the menu.  the curly-haired blonde had bought himself a large mocha latte with caramel drizzle and three cookies.  luke had laughed but ashton just grinned and shoveled down the first cookie. 

"okay, what about, 'luke is the cutest boy i've ever met?'" ashton asked awkwardly, trying not to dwell on how cheesy he had just been.  luke was blushing so hard that it went down his neck.

"umm-- luc est le garçon le plus mignon que je aie jamais rencontré. . ." luke stuttered, shifting his eyes down to the final chocolate cookie.  ashton offered it to him, only after breaking it in half.  luke took his half and raised it up to his pink lips.  ashton was positively drooling.  

 he had noticed luke's lip ring during one of their lessons and he had honest to god tried not to cum in his pants.  he had sported the most obvious boner for the remainder of the time, and had thanked every star in the sky that luke seemed to stay oblivious.  

 the booth they sat in at the coffee shop was secluded and cozy and ashton thought it was definitely a date.  the atmosphere was warm and fuzzy and both men had stolen glances at the other more than once.  ashton was still in awe that luke had even said yes to this meeting, especially since the situation with maggie had clearly torn him up.  luke was wearing a pale blue jumper that fell over his hands and ashton sorta wanted to grab his hips and manhandle him against a wall, but at the same time, he wanted to kiss him all over his gorgeous face.  it was a true dilemma.  by the end of the date, he hoped he would be able to do both.

"why did you become a dancer?" luke questioned quietly, obviously debating whether he should've asked.  ashton thought really hard about it.

"i suppose it was because, every time i watched someone else dance, i was transfixed.  like, i couldn't look away and it was all i ever wanted.  so i worked extremely hard for it.  i've always had a passion for music and the movement," he responded.  luke nodded, looking impressed by the answer.  "what about you?" ashton asked.  luke took a deep breath.

"when i was little, i had this ridiculous dream.  huge house, wife, two kids, typical picket fence thing.  then when i grew up a bit, i realized i was gay, and my perception changed.  it was like, damn, i guess i could still have that, but-- i just didn't want it anymore.  i thought i didn't know myself anymore, in my opinion, and i guess i wanted a hobby i could bury myself in.  i didn't want to dwell on how much my life was changing and how unprepared i was.  it was so fucking scary," he paused, taking a sip of his lukewarm coffee.  ashton was sitting with rapt, sad eyes. "then some asshole in the hallway, year eight i think, said, ' _hey fairy, since you're such a raging fag, maybe you should pick up ballet.  i mean, you're already as good as a girl._ ' so i stood up and said yeah, sure, sorted then-- ballet it is.  i got a lot of shit for that.  but it stuck."

 ashton was quiet for a luke time, letting luke regain his composure.  he got the feeling that this was not something luke shared with many people, and he felt immensely grateful.  he also felt unbearably sad.  the idea that anyone could ever be mean to luke was something he couldn't wrap his head around.  before he thought to much about it, he scooted out of his side of the booth and sat down next to luke on the other side.  wrapping luke in his arms, he pressed a light kiss to his temple.

"you're amazing.  really, really amazing." he whispered into luke's ear.  he hugged the boy impossibly tighter and thought about just staying that way for the rest of his life.  luke leaned into ashton with a watery smile and it was pretty great for everyone involved.  they weren't even pausing to think about how fast this was, or what it meant, and that was really okay.  ashton just wanted luke to be happy again.  fuck, it was all he ever really wanted at this point and it was maybe a bit scary.

"wanna go hang out at my place? you don't have to, i'm not trying to get in your pants, um, that is-- i mean, if you want-- yeah.  it's fine.  forget it." ashton was failing so hard but it was all okay because luke was full out laughing and it was the most beautiful sound he had ever heard.

"sounds fun." luke replied, smiling at ashton with his _brilliant_ teeth and wow they were so close together at this point.  ashton couldn't fucking breathe.  maybe he never wanted to breathe again.

"erm, yeah let's-- it's like, a street away.  my apartment is." he said, scratching the back of his neck.  they shuffled out of the booth to the stares of some patrons of the shop.  many were 'aw'-ing and chuckling.

 luke bravely took ashton's hand and walked them out of the coffee shop.  ashton figured he was maybe probably falling in love but it was too early to tell.

 


	9. la réalisation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> you will want to slit maggie's throat

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry i did not check this one for errors in my haste to put it out  
> i'm thirsty for your comments  
> thank you for all the support you've been giving

luke hemmings probably had the worst luck ever.  like, in the whole entire world.  things were going great.  they had been headed back to ashton's apartment and luke thought maybe he was going to be kissed.  but no.  of course not.  because when they got to his apartment, it was trashed.  someone has physically smashed down his front door and destroyed his couch, along with most of what had once been a very tiny apartment.  

they stood in silence.  

"maggie?" luke asked quietly, not really needing an answer.

ashton simply nodded, moving forward like a robot.  he stroke to the middle of the wreckage, where a small circle had been cleared.  there, he picked up a note vaguely similar to the one he had shown luke that morning.  luke felt his heart skip a beat in terror.

"w-what does it-t say?" he questioned, moving slowly to where ashton stood.  he handed the note to luke.

" _ashy,_

_what the fuck did i say?  first you get me kicked out of the studio, then you have the fucking nerve to go on a date with that_ trash _?!  no.  no.  this just won't do.  i was never a fan of playing hard to get, ashy.  and you knew that luke would be in danger if you continued to associate with him.  so be warned.  this is all your fault.  all your fault.  and i won't be so nice next time._

_love,_

_maggie irwin."_

they stood together in the wreckage of ashton's apartment, silent except for the occasional creaking of his shattered furniture.

"sorted then.  you're staying with me.  you obviously can't live here anymore.  while the police are investigating, they'll need you to be elsewhere.  also, i never want to sleep again.  you read the note, too.  we'll be safer together." luke said, resolutely, so that ashton wouldn't argue.  he really hoped he wouldn't, anyways.  

ashton stayed quiet.  luke put his hand on ashton's shoulder, pulling him into his chest.  ashton let himself be led, tucking his head into the crook of luke's neck and fisting his hands in the front of his "nirvana" shirt.  luke was surprised by the sudden sob that rattled out of the shorter man's chest.  he started rubbing his back in small circles and whispering into his hair.

"it's going to be fine.  you'll be fine with me, just come and stay at my place.  it'll be okay."

ashton's crying faded slowly as he took deep, shaking breaths.  

'i-it's just tha-at this is the on-nly thing i've ever had for mys-self-f." ashton broke down again, breaking luke's heart slowly.  

"c'mon, ash, let's get you packed." luke whispered into his ear.  ashton nodded and let go of luke's shirt.  they moved down a hallway littered with pieces of what looked like plates and cups.  luke leaned into ashton and grasped his hand tightly.  ashton squeezed back gratefully.  he reached out to a door at the end of the hall and opened in, revealing his room.  luke wanted to vomit.  everywhere there were pictures of maggie taped to the wall.  it looked as if she had clipped previous pictures of ashton with other people and pasted herself in their place.  apparently she had taken the liberty of hanging her underwear up, too.  it was the single most disturbing thing luke had ever seen.

ashton looked queasy as well.  he pointed to where maggie had gouged her name into his headboard, along with the message: "has slept here."  

"where are your clothes?" luke asked, voice shaking.  he pulled luke over to a dresser that had "maggie irwin" scribbled all over it in permanent marker.  letting go of luke's hand, ashton opened one of the drawers.  the clothes had been left in relatively good condition.  the only thing she had done was placed more of her underwear between his shirts.  ashton grabbed what he could and began packing it into a small black bag he retrieved from under his bed.  luke saw that there was a medium-sized wad of money in the bottom, tied with a rubber band.  he didn't ask.  

by the time ashton had packed everything he needed, it was dark out.  luke really didn't want to walk to walk home in the gloom, but having ashton with him made it less scary.  the damp pavement made slapping sounds as they started their silent walk.  finally, luke spoke up.

"i'm so sorry, ash.  i really am." he said quietly, glancing at ashton's profile.  even through his tears, ashton was the most gorgeous human being luke had ever met.  his curls were starting to get stuck to his forehead and luke reached out to push them back.  

"it's not your fault, luke.  i just-- worked really hard for that.  for something to call my own, y'know? like, no one else paid for it.  just me.  i used to work at some home depot way too far away from me and mikey's house.  i saved a lot of money up.  now, i work at the studio across town part time, teaching little kids to dance.  it makes enough.  i'm not sure if i have enough for another apartment, though, not at this point." he replied, crossing his arms across his chest.

"you know you can stay with me for as long as you want, right?  like, i was already looking for a flatmate, so you could just come to stay.  you wouldn't have to pay rent for a while, just until you're back on your feet.  i already have it more than covered.  i won this dance competition, like, three years ago? yeah, i was fifteen.  the prize was-- let's just say it was a lot of money.  i used some of it to help michael open the studio.  he found me a few months before the finals and helped me choreograph the winning dance.  i owed it to him." luke told ashton, scratching the back of his neck. 

they walked in silence until they reached luke's door.  

"this is it." he said awkwardly.  when he opened the door, his breathing got heavier.   _get it together, lucas,_ he scolded himself.  ashton moved past him into the flat and looked around.  luke was wondering whether he had picked up his dirty clothes off the floor when ashton chuckled.

"this is a great picture." he was pointing to a photograph of luke when he had won the competition.  he was standing on the stage, holding his trophy uncomfortably.  he was considerably shorter and his hair wasn't quiffed.  he waited for the ground to swallow him.  

"uh, yeah, ehm, i guess i was a late bloomer." he stuttered.  ashton laughed.

"but god damn, did you bloom." he said, watching luke across the room.  he cleared his throat and decided maybe he needed to turn up the air conditioner or something in here because, fuck, was it hot.

"do you want anything to eat," he asked, running a hand through his hair. "because i am fucking starving." ashton nodded and went back to looking at pictures on luke's beige walls. he shuffled to the kitchen and called the same pizza place he always did.  this was going to be a long, tense night.


	10. le baiser

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> there goES MY HEART

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really glad so many of you actually enjoy this  
> stay gucci my friends  
> if you know french and read the title, sorry for the spoiler  
> {IM SO SORRY THIS IS LATE BUT STATE TESTING/DEPRESSION/BULLIES GOT IN THE WAY}

_**DUE TO INTENSE EMOTIONS AT THE MOMENT THIS WILL BE DRABBLE-LENGTH** _

I'M SO SORRY 

ashton was going to slit maggie's throat if he ever saw her again.  he didn't think luke understood just how much that apartment had meant to him.  the whole "maggie 'irwin' has slept here" went way too fucking far and he wouldn't mind going to prison for assault at this point.  he could only hope that she wouldn't actually come after luke, who quickly became someone ashton cared deeply for.  staying at luke's apartment did nothing for ashton's sexual frustration if it didn't make it worse.  

 the both of them didn't actively deny their feelings for each other, but they weren't open about it either.  he was pretty sure luke liked him back, but there was still the problem of ashton not being sure if luke was a bottom.  it wasn't that he expected luke to just bend over and have sex with him, but he needed to know in case it came up.  or, at least, that's what he told himself.  making up his mind that it had to be done, ashton blurted it out one night in the living room while they were eating pizza (which was becoming way too typical).

"top or bottom, lucas?" he asked, but it came out more like a shout.  ashton facepalmed.  luke noticeably flinched before blushing a very pretty red.

"w-what?  bottom, i guess?  why do you need to know?" he stuttered.  ashton wanted to vomit.  this was going horribly wrong much quicker than he had imagined.

"i just-- curious i guess?  i'm so sorry." ashton mumbled.  luke was still blushing and shuffling on the couch.  it would've been cute if ash weren't dying of embarrassment right next to him.  but he was also secretly cheering inside because  _luke was bottom_ and this made everything so much easier.  he had completely forgotten about maggie for the past few days and it couldn't have been more amazing.

 apparently ashton was operating without conscious thought that night, because he looked over at luke with his gorgeous face and hot lip ring and fluffy quiff and decided, yeah, i could get used to this.

so he leaned in and kissed him.

 luke immediately responded, giving the vibe that he had been waiting for ashton to get his shit together and make a move.  and what a move it was.  kissing luke was like cliff diving and staying in on weekends and falling in love and everything else great in the world.  ashton wanted to make a habit of it.  definitely.  

 


	11. not a chapter--important info

Sorry, this isn't a chapter, but I have important information!  Recently someone commented and it gave me an idea to make a tumblr just to talk to you guys! My personal is super janky and I never use it so this one is going to be active more.  You can find it at:  http://demlips-ao3.tumblr.com/

Shoot me an inbox, it'll make my day! :D


	12. le défi

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> y'know how I promised a malum part????? well here you go  
> mostly lashton af though

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feeling much much better  
> follow me on tumblr at demlips-ao3 and ask me something  
> I LOVE ALL OF YOU  
> THANK YOU

"et vous tous, obtenez en un cercle. il est temps de se rendre au travail, nous ne avons pas toute la journée." michael said one monday, a few weeks after ashton had moved into luke's apartment.  the police investigation was still ongoing and luke could sense ashton's anxiety over the situation growing worse.  they hadn't been doing much dance-wise, just because everyone wanted to recover from hurricane maggie.  today, however, michael wanted to get back to work.  luke had to agree.  it was time things went back to semi-normalcy.  

 they stretched out for a few minutes after changing and moved to their same old half circle facing the front of the room.  no one commented on the gap where maggie used to stand.  luke noticed calum bouncing on the balls of his feet and asked him if he was okay.

"uh, today's the day then.  the day i ask michael clifford on a date with me.  it's been a long time coming, but it  _will_ be worth it." calum replied, seeming to be trying to convince himself more than luke.  the tall blonde just nodded and went to clap calum on the back, hoping that mikey wouldn't freak out and embarrass himself.

"you seem pretty surprisingly chill about this, mate.  was i that obvious?" calum asked nervously, flickering his chocolate gaze between luke and the excitable man at the front of the studio.  luke picked at the bottom of his black shorts, wondering if they were ashton's or his.

"both you and michael are probably the most obvious people, like, in the history of the world.  i mean, c'mon cal-pal, he stares at you the whole time we're in here," luke replied, slightly amused.  calum just shrugged his shoulders helplessly, rolling his eyes.  then he gave luke a devilish smirk.

"you mean like the way ashton looks at you, right?" the little shit said, intentionally raising his voice so that ashton would hear his name and nothing else.  luke choked on air, coughing into his elbow as he glared at calum, who was laughing his ass off.  meanwhile, ashton looked over at the two of them with a wary expression on his face.  finally, he focused his amazing eyes on luke's and gave him a small smile.  luke totally wasn't dying of happiness inside.  

  _okay,_ luke thought to himself,  _maybe it wasn't the best idea to tell calum about the kiss._

he was taken from his thoughts when ashton said, "i know michael asked us to get back to work today, but i had a little something else in mind.  you guys have been getting the moves down wonderfully, but i feel like we haven't been working together very well as a group.  so, to understand each other a bit better, we're gonna watch each one of us dance.  i know that seems a bit, eh, counterproductive, seeing as we're trying to work better together while dancing in a completely different genre.  but i promise, we'll be looking at the ways we're used to moving and building our lessons around that while incorporating this information into how we should move with others."

 at everyone's blank look, ashton chuckled. "it makes sense in my head, i swear." he had everyone choose a number from a gray beanie and of course, luke got picked to go last.  at least he had time to choose the song he wanted to dance to.  peter, however had to go first.  bea smiled at him and moved to plug his phone into the speakers.  it was a little freaky how she already knew what song he wanted to dance to.  they had to keep it under a minute so they could go quickly, and he had chosen a snippet of "better man" by james morrison.

**{watch peter's solo[here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uy5MaSbPZYI).}**

erin went next with a short dance to "infra 8" by max richter.  luke noticed the way ashton took notes on both performances, trying to find fault or something that could be used to the advantage of the group as a whole.

**{watch erin's solo[here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZK78JPZReE).}**

  luke knew that bea enjoyed choreographing her own dances, and that she was very good at it.  her solo was to some song called "let the drummer kick" and it was luke's favorite so far.  ashton seemed to enjoy it even more, because when luke looked over he saw him smiling and scribbling away at his notes.  luke assumed that from now on, ashton would be asking bea for her input and having her help teach the rest of the group her moves.

**{watch bea's solo[here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-wW9XDr6eY).}**

 the twins, nadine and natalie, went next.  nadine's dance was first and it pretty much represented her as a person.  it was powerful, swift, and a little dangerous.  she had chosen the flux pavilion remix of "cracks" and luke could tell that ashton was impressed by how quickly she was moving without making it seem to fast to watch.  natalie came soon after with a song called "royal t".  it was fun and impressive at the same time, slightly more cheerful than her sister's dance.  they might have been alike in most ways, but nadine and natalie were distinct and skilled dancers.

**{watch nadine's solo[here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9t7Wi3wrH1M) and natalie's solo [here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvaqy1gHL1U).}**

  when luke said that bea's was his favorite, he had been wrong.  god, michael's solo showed how much he had truly worked to get to this point, to be able to teach classes and own his own studio.  it wasn't just his favorite dance from this group, it was one of the best he'd ever seen.  he had failed to notice just how talented his friend was before now.  calum was having much the same reaction.  he stood, watching with rapt attention as mikey moved.  the fondness in his expression warmed luke's heart.

**{watch michael's solo[here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ob_IaHiR9fA), because it caused me so much stress trying to find one that was just right.}**

after everyone mobbed michael with praises, it was calum's turn.  luke was excited for this one because he already knew it would be good.  calum danced to "my love" by sia, and it was borderline heart wrenching.  it reminded luke of how calum must've felt seeing michael with ashton every day.  speaking of michael, when calum was done, he ran up to the man, embracing him and yelling a muffled, "god, you're amazing.  how're you that good?" calum just chuckled and hugged michael back.

**{watch calum's solo[here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDEXA06IJzM).}**

  sophie was right before luke, and she danced to "song for viola".  it was purposeful, powerful, and intense.  luke felt as though she were sending a personal message about something big in her life.  ashton felt the meaning too.  he wrote with a soft smile, and it was clear he had enjoyed the dance.  luke had picked out his song by now, so he went t plug in his phone while sophie was complimented by the others.

**{watch sophie's solo[here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CwZbd6ELlzA&spfreload=1).}**

then it was luke's turn.  he got into position and loosely placed his body where it needed to be, fists under his chin.  the song he had chosen was "you're the one that i want", only it was a cover by angus & julia stone.  he felt that it really explained his emotions these days and had no trouble coming up with the choreography on the spot.  when he finished, it was silent.

"that bad then?" he asked nervously, not looking anyone in the eye.

**{watch luke's solo[here](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rt13xIzdjIk).}**

 ashton was the first to break the silence with raucous applause.  luke blushed and scratched the back of his neck.  soon, everyone was applauding and coming up to hug him.  his wasn't the best, in luke's opinion, but it was enough.  

"right, so now that i've seen it all, i must say that i'm quite impressed.  really, guys, this is going to be amazing.  let's just shoot some ideas around about how we want to incorporate each of our strong points, and then we can test some of it out, yeah?" ashton told them, still looking at luke the same way calum had been looking at michael.

~*~

"calum, wait up!" michael yelled, running down the stairs where calum waited at the bottom.  calum, who had forgotten to stay and ask michael on a date.  he swore, turning to meet the out-of-breath man a few steps above him.

"hi." he said with a small smile.  he was about to let the words tumble out when michael spoke first.

"today was fun, wasn't i--" he started, before calum interrupted.

"souhaitez-vous aller à une date avec moi?" he said, hoping that michael would understand it all.

 a giddy smile spread across mikey's face slowly, and calum's heart was sorta about to fly out of his chest.

"yeah, i'd love to go on a date with you.  definitely.  um.  let me just--" he broke off, pointing back to the studio door and then at his clothes.  he needed to change.

"erm, yeah, okay." calum said dumbly, watching michael sprint up the stairs in a slight daze.

so maybe his dreams were coming true.


	13. l'appartement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ashy irwin and the tree boy of michael clifford dance company

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's been a while, ao3, hows the wife, the kids?
> 
> MY BAE KERRY WROTE THE SMUT FOR ME, I REPEAT, KERRY WROTE THIS SMUT NOT ME  
> AKA ibroughtyoumybullets on AO3 and jackbarakanunot on tumblr! Thanks so much Kerry you're gr9 !!!  
> the ~~~~ indicates where kerry wrote

 ashton's apartment was fine now.  a nice man down the hall from luke had offered to restore it free of charge (ashton suspected luke paid him but had no way to prove it) and he had accepted.  all he had to do was show the man, named ryan, how things had been set up before.  within the span of two months, the extensive damage was pretty much all gone or repaired and ashton wouldn't believe it if he hadn't been there to witness some of it himself.  of course all the furniture was better and the walls were painted slightly different colors but there wasn't underwear hanging from the walls and scratches in his headboard so ashton didn't mind.  he supposed he should have been happier about the news, but it came with the realization that he didn't have an excuse to live with luke anymore.  

 he wasn't sure what he was to luke, but ashton thought of the tall dancer as his boyfriend.  they kissed, (a lot) and went out on dates, and had in depth conversations about what the other wanted out of life, and frankly it was bliss.  if he weren't such a self-conscious motherfucker ashton would ask the other man to be his boyfriend officially, but the constant "what ifs" flying around in his head wouldn't allow it.  

 so that left him standing awkwardly outside the door of his flat, looking quickly from luke's face to the bags in his hands that he had insisted on carrying for ashton.  he wasn't sure what to say.  _hey, thanks for letting me stay at your place whilst mine was being fixed after our psycho stalker trashed it.  we should go out sometime!_ ashton didn't know if maggie was still watching them or if she had moved on to someone else but he lived in constant fear she would pop out of nowhere and hurt luke.

"are we gonna go in or are you just going to stand there?" luke asked with a smirk, snapping ashton out of his thoughts.  he shuffled forward and opened the door, holding it open for luke.  it was a bit of a shock seeing the place all put together, even after he had been there during the whole process.  they went back to his bedroom and placed all of his bags on the now maggie-free bed.  ashton wondered if his neighbor still had excessive amounts of sex whilst he was gone.

"quite the improvement." luke commented, running his hands down the dark blue duvet.  ashton was struck for a moment, having luke in his apartment, looking right at home. he wondered if that was how he made luke feel at his apartment and it got to be too much to handle.

"are we-- are we dating?  like, are you my boyfriend?  sorry, no, i did that wrong.  will you be my boyfriend?" ashton asked, wanting to maybe throw himself off of a building.  there was a silent moment where ashton didn't look at luke or anything really, sort of closing his eyes and bracing himself for the brutal rejection.  it didn't come.  

"yes.  god, yes, i've been waiting for that for the past month ash, really." luke good-naturedly scolded him.  ashton laughs and moves down onto the bed.

~~~~

 

 

 

 

luke sits down on ashton’s bed next to him, his arms awkwardly at his sides. they’re both silent; neither of them know what to say or what to do. they sit for what feels like seconds, minutes, hours, before ashton takes a bold move.

ashton surges forward, and presses his lips against luke’s.

at first, luke is taken by surprise, but he begins to kiss back soon enough. their lips slide together perfectly, as if this had been rehearsed a thousand times over in a dream. they continue like that for what must be at least five minutes before ashton pulls away and leans down.

ashton attaches his lips to luke’s neck, moving down slowly, stopping at his adam’s apple and his collar bone to suck hickeys into his soft skin. luke watches ashton and bites his lip harshly and holds his breath, not trusting himself to say or do anything.

when ashton’s lips reach the neckline of luke’s shirt, he slowly lifts the material and pulls it off, revealing his toned body. luke squirms just a little bit, uncomfortable under ashton’s gaze. ashton must’ve noticed, and began kissing luke’s chest the same way that he was before.

“you’re so beautiful, princess,” he whispers as his lips trailed down his abdomen. luke blushed a cherry blossom pink and in that moment, ashton was so happy to be with him, here and now, doing this. he couldn’t ask for anything more.

ashton’s mouth reached the waistband of luke’s jeans, and he carefully began to take them off. he was savoring every moment, and while he knew that luke was probably getting a bit restless, he wanted to remember every single move that luke made, remember every single breath that came out luke’s mouth.

after luke’s skinny jeans were on the floor, ashton only took a few seconds to admire luke before taking his boxers off, too. he was beautiful. all of him, every single inch. he was so entranced with his body. every curve of every muscle was a work of art.

“um, ashton, i really don’t want to be rude, and i can tell you’re enjoying staring at me, but i think i might scream just a bit if you don’t do anything,” luke says awkwardly, obviously embarrassed by his own request. ashton just giggles and takes luke’s cock in his hand.

luke sighs deeply as ashton begins to move his hand, and ashton smiles just a little bit. he can’t wait to hear all of the sounds that luke makes, he can’t wait to hear him begging for more.

luke opens his mouth as if he’s going to say something right as ashton closes his lips around the head of luke’s cock. luke’s unsaid words turn into a groan as ashton begins to move his mouth up and down his length. he starts off slow, and then continues to go faster and faster as he continues. luke tosses his head up and lets out a low moan as ashton hums softly around his dick. he doesn’t know much about blowjobs, but he does know that ashton is fucking great at giving them. he’s taking luke’s entire cock like a pro, not gagging at all.

a few minutes pass, and luke knows that he can’t take much more of this. he really does want to come, but he also really wants to get fucked. he looks down at ashton and moans again; ashton just looks so pretty with his lips wrapped around luke’s dick. luke really doesn’t want this to end, but it kind of has to.

“ash, i’m having a great time and all, but i really want you to fuck me,” luke somehow manages to get out between moans. ashton’s eyes widen as he slowly takes his mouth off of luke.

“of course, princess,” ashton says as he reaches into his nightstand and grabs some lube and a condom. “do you want me to open you up, or do you want to do it yourself?”

“um, i’ll do it myself,” he says timidly as he takes the lube from ashton’s hand. he opens the bottle and spreads the liquid all over his fingers before lying back and slowly inserting his index finger into himself. he winces at first, before he slowly starts to pump his fingers in an out of himself.

“fuck,” ashton says as he watches luke fuck himself. if he’s being honest, it’s one of the hottest things that he’s seen in his whole life. as he continues to watch, ashton begins to take his clothes, off which he neglected to do before.

luke is now fucking himself with two fingers by the time that ashton is completely without clothes. luke stares at his muscled, tan body and lets out a low groan. ashton bites his lip and tries to refrain from touching himself.

“i need you so bad, ash,” luke gasps as he’s moving his fingers quickly in and out of himself. he wants more, he needs more.

“do you think you’re ready, princess?” ash asks. of course, he wants to get inside of luke as fast as he can, but he doesn’t want to hurt him.

“as ready as i’ll ever be. please, fuck me,” luke says breathlessly and ashton groans. he grabs the condom that he has set on the bed and rolls it on, then takes the lube and rubs it on himself. he grabs luke’s legs and pulls him over, lining him up with his cock. he slowly enters luke, being careful not to harm his princess.

“god, luke, you feel so good,” ashton says, still pushing into luke. after he’s completely inside of him, he waits for him to adjust.

“goddamnit, ash, just fucking move already,” luke gasps after a few seconds of ashton staying still. After he says that, ashton wastes no time moving in and out of luke, working to find his prostate. luke’s gasping and letting out small moans, and he’s the most beautiful thing that ashton has ever seen.

ashton began thrusting into him harder and faster, just dying to make luke moan and beg. with every thrust, he changed angles slightly, searching for the spot that will make luke squirm. after a few more thrusts, luke let out a loud moan.

“oh my god, fuck, ashton, right there,” he said. he was loud, but he was obviously struggling to get his words out. there were other things on his mind. ashton let a small smile of pride rest on his face as he fucks luke even harder. luke lets out small gasps, moans, and whispers of the word “please.”

ashton looks down at luke, and fuck, his princess looks so pretty like this. luke’s jaw is slack and open and his hands are clasped to the sheets of the bed. he just can’t help himself as he leans down to press a fierce kiss to luke’s lips.

ashton continues thrusting in and out of luke as they kiss each other with such passion, such intensity. he can’t help but to think that life can’t get much better than what it is now, as he’s moaning into luke’s mouth and coming inside of him. luke follows shortly after, come spurting across both of their chests.

ashton carefully pulls out of luke, grabbing a tissue from his nightstand and wiping the come off of his and luke’s chests. he then pulls off his condom and tosses it in his waste bin before collapsing onto the bed and wrapping luke up in his arms.

“you were wonderful, princess,” ashton whispers as luke hides his face in the crook of ashton’s neck.

luke smiles against his skin as he says, “so were you, ashton. you were the best that i’ve ever had.”

they both fall asleep with content smiles on their faces.

 

 


End file.
